Standards
Born To Be Blue chords & key
“Born To Be Blue” is a jazz standard by Wells-Torme. It is usually played in C major as a ballad, and the 32-bar AABA form has 4 sections. Harmonically it contains 3 major ii–V–I cadences, uses 22 different chords and moves between the key centres F♯ major, B major and E♭ major. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — C major
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- D♭7♯11×7
- C7×6
- F7×6
- Cm7×6
- Fm7×4
- G7×4
Key centres reached by ii–V
F♯ major, B major and E♭ major
Characteristics
- AABA song form
Recorded on these albums
| 1961 | Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! Ella Fitzgerald · “(I Was) Born to Be Blue” |
| 1963 | Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul Ray Charles · “Born to Be Blue” |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Born To Be Blue in?
Born To Be Blue is usually played in C major. For B♭ instruments that is D major, for E♭ instruments A major.
Who wrote Born To Be Blue?
Born To Be Blue was written by Wells-Torme.
What is the form of Born To Be Blue?
Born To Be Blue has 4 sections (AABA) with 32 bars in total.
How fast is Born To Be Blue played?
The usual groove is Ballad.
What are the chord changes to Born To Be Blue?
The opening bars are C7 Db7#11 | C7 Gb7#11 | F7 Eb7 | Abmaj7 G7#5. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.